On Wednesday, US President Barack Obama issued a threat on Russia by saying that the country is now mulling over a new round of sanctions against the latter's energy sector, Fox News said. Obama made this threat at a news conference at the Council of the European Union.
In the news conference, Obama has said that the Ukraine crisis emphasized the need for the European Union to find another energy source aside from Russia. Obama reportedly assured the neighboring countries of Russia that the US will assist them come the time it will be imposing its additional sanctions. He also commended the coordination of the US and Europe in imposing the economic sanctions against Russia and that it is more likely that the US will ensure its isolation should it continue on its current course.
"Russia stands alone. Russia stood alone when trying to defend its actions at the U.N. Security Council, the 28 members of the European Union are united, the 28 members of NATO are united, every member of the G7 has imposed sanctions on Russia as we announced on Monday, and the G7 will meet here in Brussels in June - without Russia. (If) Russian leadership thought the world wouldn't care about their actions in Ukraine, or that they could drive a wedge between the European Union and the United States, they clearly miscalculated," Obama boldly declared.
In the council, it has been reported that Obama had a lunch meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, of which participants have said had been talking about how the Ukraine crisis. The three global leaders were confident about reaching a trans-Atlantic trade partnership, of which Obama was quoted as saying that the deal could provide a counterweight to the Russian energy leverage in Europe, Fox News said.
